Bill and Pam travel to Guatemala and Belize (or Bill gets an education)
Janurary 2017, We flew in to Belize City and took a van to the Tropical Education Center. During our days there we took a canoe trip on the Sibun River, and visited the Belize Zoo. Our accommodations were a one room raised cabana with porch. Tropical Education Center had a dining room / restaurant, a series of trails, and a pond with a 4 foot crocodile. From there, the Belize Zoo was a 20 minute walk.
Day 3, we visited the Mayan Archeological site of Xunantunich with the 2nd tallest pyramid in Belize. Located here are 25 temples and palaces surrounding 6 major plazas. It is believed that Mayan royalty lived in Xunantunich and the local Mayan farmers provided food and services to the Royalty in exchange for protection from invading tribes. Next we traveled into Guatemala to our accommodations at the La Casa De Don David. Here we got and impromptu air show and circular fire show.
Day 4 we traveled to Tikal National Park, the Mayan World's most spectacular archeological and jungle site. The ancient city contains 3000 structures and covers 16 square kilometers of the 575 square kilometers of the park. Tikal National Park is part of the Maya Biosphere Reserve, along with Mexico and Belize Biosphere Reserves are the largest protected tropical forested areas north of the Amazon. Tikal is truly amazing and you could spend days there seeing everything. We arrived early and avoided the masses at the main attractions. We saw Howler and Spider Monkeys, Oscillated Turkeys, Parrots, a White Nosed Coati, and numerous other birds, but no wild Jaguar, just the Jaguar temple.
Next on our tour was the Ixpanpajul National Park with hiking trails and canopy bridges serving as examples of the projects to be developed at the Seacacar Canon Natural Reserve. Later that day, we arrived in the Q'eqchi Mayan Village in Seacacar.
Days 6 through 10, we stayed at the lodge in Seacacar. Pam and Sheila worked with the teacher to teach the children English on several mornings. I assisted Paul and the Village men in building trails and discussed future projects. During our stay we visited a natural hot springs, took a boat trip to Bocas del Polochic Wildlife Reserve, tubed down the Seacacar Canon through some small rapids, hiked the trails, and visited with some of the local Q'eqchi people and their homes. Most of the homes have dirt floors, thatched roofs, walls made of tree branches tied together. No windows or screens. Beds were hammocks or stacked pallets to get you off the ground. Their cook stove was a elevated sand box where they would burn wood to cook on. By comparison, our lodge looked like a 4 star resort. Although there is no cell service or internet in the village, there was plenty of cervazas, and no noise from Donal Trump!
Day 11, we traveled from Rio Dulce by boat to Ak' Temamit in the Rio Dulce National Park. Ak' Temamit is a vocational boarding school for indigenous youth that promotes long term solutions to poverty through education, health, income generation, and cultural programs. The students served us a great dinner and breakfast, but for the lodging, they need a lot more training. The next morning we took a boat to Livingston for lunch on the Caribbean. Then on to Punta Gorda, Belize across the Bay of Amitique. Lodging at the Coral House, with hot water and swimming pool.
Day 13 was the travel day. We took a 10 seat plane from Punta Gorda to Belize city, making several stops on the way. Then back to Denver via Houston. While this trip isn't for the tourist that wants to be pampered, I enjoyed the trip more than I expected, and it makes me appreciate how spoiled we are here in Colorado. Bill and Pam
